Architects of a Greener Tomorrow: Students Merge Art with Science

Throughout the spring semester of 2024, a group of Hopkins students, led by faculty members Derek Byron and Lisa Proulx, could be seen building three peculiar structures on the outskirts of the quad beside Thompson Hall. As the structures grew, so did the questions around campus. 

 

As it turned out, the answer was water purification systems doubled as public art, designed and built completely from scratch by students in Hopkins’ Design Engineering class. The students applied the course knowledge they gained on environmentally sustainable infrastructure to create their own eco-efficient models.

 

Benji P. ’25 joined the class because of its hands-on and collective nature. “It was like nothing I really have done at Hopkins,” he exclaimed. “It was really fun to collaborate as a class. It was very physical work, but also rewarding work to turn a design into something real.” Benji and the rest of his classmate’s structures became tangible fixtures on campus, standing as symbols for innovation and ingenuity. 

 

The Design Engineering course was created in the 2017–2018 academic year as a multidisciplinary exploration of the relationship between science, art, and design. The course is headed by Byron—an architect, carpenter, and craftsman who says he is inspired by contemporary minimalism and traditional artisanship; and Proulx—a microbiologist and advocate for educational innovation. Together, they provide students with a scientific understanding of humanity’s interconnection with the environment, combined with the design skills necessary to address important causes like the ongoing climate crisis. The key to success is taking students outside the walls of the classroom and into the real world to get their hands dirty.

 

“Inherent to all scientific and creative endeavors is the ability to craft a vision, take creative and intellectual risks, and find comprehensive, well-researched solutions,” Byron explained. “[Art and science] are both grounded in the idea that abstraction is essential for transforming theory into something tangible,” he added.

 

Sculpting Infrastructure, Enhancing Public Space 

Last year, Design Engineering began a collaboration with the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (CEA). In the spring of 2024, students took multiple trips to the CEA to meet Yale’s interdisciplinary team of architects, environmentalists, and engineers. There they explored a key research focus: investigating America’s existing water infrastructure and rethinking it by developing point-of-source water purification systems that harness Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS), a sustainable method leveraging the sun’s UV radiation to break down contaminants. Following the field trips, the Design Engineering students were assigned a final project, Sculpting Infrastructure, which involved designing the aforementioned on-site water purification systems.

 

“Sculpting Infrastructure offers an experience that reimagines our relationship with water through the lens of both art and science,” said Proulx. 

 

The final project progressed from concept to completion, starting just before spring break and continuing until the end of the school year. Students first had to develop a functional design and carefully plan the construction of the structure. Then, they welded metal, woodworked, and crafted their prototypes into fully realized structures on the quad. 

 

“It’s really cool to build something from the ground up,” exclaimed Jing S. ’25, another student of the Design Engineering class last spring. “It was a really great class, and I like that it was on our own time, going outside, being on the quad, and building it.”

 

Like any major construction, small setbacks arose, such as needing to go through several iterations to ensure the frameworks were secure and properly joined.

 

“It was an environment where we could really explore things and fail, and learn a lot from the failure,” remembered Benji, who had to problem-solve with his team on how to align and attach studs to the structure’s wireframe and deck.

 

Jing noted his pride when seeing his peers continue to spend time and connect with one another on their creations. 

 

“It’s cool to see people even using it this year,” Jing said. “The longevity of people’s excitement about it is really exciting.”

 

Benji echoed Jing, saying, “It was really rewarding to see this thing that we just designed and built turn into something real. Now all these people are using it and enjoying it.”

 

As for instructors Byron and Proulx, they couldn’t be more pleased with the end results. 

 

“We are so proud of the final builds! The students gained valuable fabrication skills and insights into structural engineering, drawing on Derek’s impressive expertise,” said Proulx.

 

For the upcoming iteration of the class in the spring of 2025, Design Engineering will focus on the challenge of food accessibility in lower socioeconomic communities. The class will collaborate with Levo International, a Hartford-based organization that develops food security solutions through hydroponic urban farming. Levo International will teach students how to build indoor systems for growing plants, either to improve air quality or produce food.

 

Building on this practical knowledge, the class will continue its partnership with the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (CEA) to explore further scalable plant systems and their microbiomes, known as Active Modular Phytoremediation Systems (AMPS). AMPS are modular, building-integrated plant systems that utilize the natural abilities of plants and their associated microbiomes to improve indoor air quality by removing airborne contaminants. This collaboration will integrate insights from the CEA’s research on AMPS and the food-water nexus in buildings, creating an interdisciplinary exploration of innovative solutions to global challenges.

 

The Design Engineering class continues to evolve as a program addressing global challenges at the intersection of science, art, and design. By fostering innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, the course inspires Hopkins students to become the next generation of problem-solvers and environmental stewards. 

 

“Our students are not only designing structures; they’re shaping a more sustainable future,” said Proulx.